No Place Like Home
by sablecain
Summary: As the team checks out a world referenced in the Ancient database--Rodney and Ronon are given permission to explore and find themselves in a bit of trouble.
1. Chapter 1

No Place Like Home

Written for the sga genficathon. My prompt was "hidden things". Huge thank you to NT for betaing for me!

* * *

The cobblestone roadway started at the stargate and led into a forest of green. Trees of every size and shape, in every shade of green imaginable, lined the way. The tallest trees stretched their branches skyward, forming a perfect naturally arching canopy. A fine yellow-green dust covered the exterior of the gate, the DHD and the cobblestones. Even the air appeared a cloudy yellow.

McKay immediately let out a volley of four violent sneezes. "Great," he mumbled, digging into his vest for stashed Kleenex.

Sheppard ran a finger over the edge of the DHD frame and examined the clump of yellow that coated his fingertip like chalk dust.

"It's pollen." McKay sneezed again, three more times. "This place is like an evil allergy hell."

"There's so much of it?" Ronon asked, sniffing the air and frowning_. _

"From the trees." John grinned and pointed to the blossoming trees. "Must be spring." He wiped his finger on his pant leg and adjusted his sunglasses.

"Shall we?" Teyla asked, completely unfazedby the poor air quality.

"Follow the yellow brick road," John quipped.

"Oh, perfect." McKay snorted into his Kleenex before stuffing it into a pocket. "If we find flying monkeys on this hunk of rock, I'm blaming you."

Sheppard didn't even bother to respond as he started down the path at a decent clip.

McKay wiped his face on his sleeve and tried not to think of how many days it was going to take to recover from the havoc his allergies were going to wreak on him. He was the one who had found the brief mention of this world in the database. The Ancients had mentioned a base here, but there was nothing more to the entry. The misison was probably going to end up being a colossal waste of time, but he hoped they'd find something interesting. You could never learn too much about the Ancients and if a ZPM happened to be discovered in the mix…it'd be more than worth it.

"McKay." Ronon's gruff call jerked Rodney out of his musings. He hadn't realized he'd fallen behind the others. Ronon had stopped and was waiting for him.

Quickly, Rodney jogged along the uneven stones and caught up to the group. Ronon didn't comment about his lagging, he merely adjusted his stride and fell in step beside the scientist.

The road twisted and curved for about a half a mile through the trees before opening abruptly to reveal a bustling village. Dozens of small cabins dotted the roadside and circled out from a town square where food venders had set up carts, and an open well was busy with activity. The focal point of the settlement,however,was obviously the huge stone castle-like structure that dominated the far hillside.

McKay sneezed twice more. "Is that a castle?"

"Ye-ah" Sheppard dragged the word out as the townspeople began to notice them.

Teyla smiled pleasantly as they continued slowly along the roadway and into the square.

The native people smiled back in greeting, even as they huddled together, pointing and whispering. They were dressed simply yet colorfully. The carts of food were full of fresh healthy looking produce.

"Did the database give you any hints about the people here, McKay?" Sheppard asked quietly.

"No," McKay shook his head as a group of women giggled nearby. "Nothing."

"Remind you of anyplace?" Ronon focused on a group of soldiers mingling with the villagers, their uniforms obvious.

"Uh-huh" Sheppard's grip tightened on his P-90.

"What? Where?" Rodney looked around, trying to figure out what world they were thinking of. It could be any.

"The names Otho or Tavius and a tower ring any bells?"

McKay thought a moment before the memory clicked. "Really?" he stared openly at the curious villagers. "These people look…"

"Contented," Teyla supplied. "They are not living under the same kind of oppression."

"We'll see. Heads up." Sheppard stood a little straighter as one of the uniformed men separated from the villagers and moved toward them.

The soldier explained that hewas the commander of the King's Brigade and that he, Cort, would be honored to escort them to the palace himself.

"King?" McKay mouthed the word at Ronon who merely shrugged. They hadn't had the best luck with monarchies in the past. McKay shuddered at the memory of dark shaky hallways and power hungry overlords.

Before he even realized it, the team had hiked the small distance to the palace. They were standing in a grand entryway,being greeted by another official. This one introduced himself as Rula. Hewas the King's advisor. It was tradition, Rula explained, that visitors of such esteem first have an audience with the King. Sheppard quickly agreed, but when Rula informed them that only two of them could go before the king at one time, John hesitated.

"Go ahead," Rodney told him. "You and Teyla are better at this sort of thing and maybe they'll let Ronon and I look around a bit." He lowered his voice. "You see the structure over in the corner. I'm betting this place was built up around Ancient architecture." His gaze pointed to the familiar patterned metallic material that formed a crossbar above an archway.

"Alright, fine." Sheppard reluctantly agreed. "But stay out of trouble."

Rula smiled at the command. "Your companions are more than free to explore the palace at their leisure."

"Really?" McKay was surprised at the freedom. "Great."

"McKay," Sheppard warned.

"Right, right, I got it. No trouble. Come on, Ronon."

Ronon didn't appear overly excited to be exploring an old castle, but McKay didn't let the big man's apathy slow him down at all. Once they were on their own, he slipped his scanner out of his pack.

"Anything?" Ronon questioned.

"Not really. There's a very low energy signature here somewhere, but nothing we can use I'm assuming. I mean, it's barely enough to keep the lights on," he waved at the oil lamps that lined the hallways. "Obviously."

"What kind of base was here?"

"No clue. All the database said was that the Ancients had built here. No reason, no function listed. I mean, they might have just been building a vacation home for all we know." He stopped walking suddenly and Ronon barely avoided colliding into him. "Hmmm."

"What?"

Rodney stared a moment at a suit of armor displayed in a small alcove. He tapped it once, listening to the hollow 'ding' before he shrugged. He looked up one hall and down another. Itwas like a stone maze to him. "I think we go that way."

"Lead on, then."

They'd only encountered a few people in their wandering, but no guards and no one seemed fazedat finding strangers wandering the hallways of their palace. Pleasant greetings were exchanged and Ronon and McKay were left alone.

It took a few turns and one complete U-turn, but finally they reached McKay's destination.

"Here." McKay looked up from his scanner and examined the hallway. "Look at that!" His voice rose with excitement.

"What? The big cat?"

McKay scowled at Ronon, completely ignoring the mosaic of a large predatory looking, cat-like creature depicted on the opposite wall. "What? No, at the door!" He waved at the door in question. "Look at it."

The metal door did stand out from the other mostly wooden ones they had passed in their wanderings, even Ronon had to admit that. An ornate frame had been added that was sculpted with intricate woodworking. Only after he looked closer could Ronon see what McKay was so excited about. Along the right edge, within the scrollwork was an Ancient locking mechanism just like the ones on all the doors in Atlantis.

"Huh."

"Yeah, huh." McKay was tapping away at the scanner. "This is where I've been picking up the energy signature."

"Why just here?"

Rodney shrugged. "Who knows?Probably this is the only area of the original architecture that was left in working order…Maybe."

"Do you need to pull it apart and do that bridge thing?" Ronon sounded skeptical. "I don't think they'll like that." He glanced over his shoulder, but there was no one in the hallway.

McKay scoffed, "I doubt they'd like it either, but let's try the good old fashioned gene way first."

Ronon caught Rodney's wrist as he raised his hand to swipe over the door scanner. "You sure?"

"They said we could explore as much as we wanted, didn't they?"

Ronon thought a moment before letting McKay go. "They did."

Grinning, Rodney nodded and swiped the door.

The scanner lit up and, just as they expected, the door slid open with ease.

"Whoa." Ronon peered inside the revealed room, but waited for McKay's lead.

"That's not…" McKay seemed to be at a loss for words.

"What you expected?" Ronon finished Rodney's sentence as the scientist slowly stepped into the room.

McKay didn't even look at his scanner. Instead, he simply stared as he craned his head around to take in everything.

The room was a perfect four meter by four meter square. Recessed lighting, similar to Atlantis, illuminated the entire room in a soft green light. In the middle of the open space, six velvet draped pedestals were setequal distances apart. The walls of the room… McKay moved closer and ran his fingers over the closest surface. It was cool and smooth and like nothing he'd ever seen or imagined before. The entire room, floor to ceiling was made of…jade. He was fairly certain it was jade or a Pegasus version of it. Various shades of green mosaic tiles, from the size of a penny to the size of Ronon's hand, all artistically arranged, formedpatterns along the walls. It was like stepping inside a pure green kaleidoscope.

Mesmerized Rodney moved further into the jade room. He stepped closer to the pedestals and gaped at the array of jewels laid out on the velvet surfaces. Crowns were encrusted with what appeared to be emeralds of all sizes. There were necklaces of amethyst and emeralds, of sapphires and emeralds, rings with stones the size of ping pong balls, bracelets of diamonds and strings of pearls. He saw turquoise and silver and peridot and garnets but mostly he saw emeralds. He reached, but pulled back before he touched anything.

"Wow." He looked at Ronon, expecting to find the larger man impatiently waiting for him,but instead found Ronon gently running his hand over a tiled pattern on the wall, just as amazed as he was. "It's…" Rodney searched for a word to describe the room, but there was nothing. His mind was blank. It was just too beautiful for words.

He heard the rapid approach of footsteps and turned to the door just as the Commander, Cort, appeared in the doorway. Cort's face was awash with shock and fear. "What are you?" he gasped out as he waved to the soldiers behind him. The room was suddenly crowded and, before either Rodney or Ronon could react, they were surrounded. Ronon scowled at the primitive rifles pointed at them and reached for his own weapon only to have three soldiers direct their aim at his head. He froze and watched McKay.

"What? What are you doing?" McKay snapped out of his shock.

"How did you get into this room?" Cort towered over McKay.

"I opened the door and walked right in. Look, just check with…" he snapped his fingers and looked at Ronon for help. "check with…"

"Rula," Ronon growled out.

"Yeah, Rula. He told us we were free to look around. To explore. We haven't even touched anything."

"No one can open the Crown jewel room."

McKay frowned. Crown Jewels? Uh oh. "Well, obviously someone can."

"Only the court magicians have the power to access this room." Cort circled the room slowly, examining each pedestal to make sure nothing had been touched or taken. "In order to open this door you must possess serious dark powers."

"Powers? I hardly. What?" He glanced at the other soldiers, hearing the sudden fearful whispers. "What?"

He swore he heard the word "witch."

"You're a witch." Cort stood in front of him again.

"Oh my god, you can not be serious. A witch? Really? What century do you live in?"

"McKay," Ronon hissed a warning but it was too late.

Cort struck McKay with the back of his hand. "You will be silent!"

Rodney staggered with the pain. He saw stars. What the heck was happening? He didn't understand. They'd been told they could look around. He could hear Ronon struggling, trying to fight back, but heard the blows and knew they were beating the Satedan.

"Stop. Stop," he pleaded desperately, only to receive another blow, this time with the butt of a rifle. This one knocked him to his knees. His vision blurred. He heard Ronon bellow as two soldiers grabbed his arms and hauled him up again. Rodney struggled, needing to help as he watched four soldiers strike at Ronon, but there was yetanother blow, a flash of pain and then darkness.

* * *

"McKay."

Rodney groaned. He heard Ronon. Felt the big man's hands on his head.

"McKay."

Moaning again, McKay forced his eyes open. Ronon hovered above him with a swatch of bloody material. "Wha?"

"I'm trying to clean your wound. I need you to wake up."

"I'm up."

Rodney closed his eyes again.

"Rodney!" Ronon's voice was sharp this time. Urgent.

He felt himself being lifted and leaned against the wall. "Come on, McKay."

"I'm okay." He slurred the words as he opened his eyes again. "Where?"

"It's a cell. We've been arrested."

It took a minute for Rodney to see clearly, but gradually the room came into focus. It was a simple, stone room with a large wooden door. No windows, only a small barred opening about eye level in the door. There was barely enough room inside for both Ronon and himself.

"Radios?"

"They took everything," Ronon admitted, sounding embarrassed.

"So kay." Rodney struggled to focus. His head throbbed. He flinched as Ronon once again pressed the cloth to the side of his head just above his ear. "Sheppard will figure out something's wrong. He and Teyla will come for us."

"Yeah."

"How long?" Rodney pushed Ronon away, gingerly touching the wound himself. Ronon merely batted his hand down and reapplied the pressure.

"Not sure." Ronon looked around the small cell. "Hasn't been too long."

"You okay?" Rodney eyed Dex. He remembered the four soldiers subduing the man.

"Fine." The reply was tight and Rodney knew not to bother pressing the matter.

Noise outside the cell had both men scrambling to their feet. Ronon held on to Rodney's arm to steady him until he was certain the scientist could stand on his own.

The door swung outward to reveal Cort and three others. They aimed their rifles at Ronon but spoke to Rodney.

"You will come with us now," Cort ordered.

"Where? Why?" Rodney questioned, but the soldiers moved closer to Ronon. Rodney realized there were now bayonets on the ends of the weapons. "Ok, I'm going. Just tell me why."

"You must be tested."

"NO." Ronon surged forward, but was pushed roughly back against the wall and held by three men, with a bayonet to his throat. He growled helplessly as Cort dragged Rodney from the cell. The soldiers backed away quickly after their commander was clear of the room and slammed the door closed, barring it even as Ronon threw himself against it from the inside. Frightened, the men scurried away as he continued to assault the door. His bellowed threats echoed behind them and quickened their steps.

Ronon threw himself against the door twice more after he knew the guards had gone away and then forced himself to stop. His shoulder throbbed where he'd rammed it into the unyielding wood and he needed to think.

They'd taken Rodney.

Slamming an open palm against the heavy door, he cursed himself. Why had he not been quicker? How had they caught him unprepared? He was supposed to protect McKay and he'd been slack jawed and mesmerized by that stupid room. They'd been told it was okay to look around. He never expected to be dragged off by soldiers.

Sheppard was gonna kill him.

Pushing back from the rough wood, Ronon paced the small cell. Four steps one way, three steps back. There was nothing in the room. Not a pallet, not a bucket, not a chair…nothing. It was nothing more than a holding cell. He glanced back at the small barred opening in the door. They'd be coming back eventually. Maybe he could jump them then. He remembered the sharp bayonet points just a whisper from his throat and growled.

He hated feeling helpless. The anger built up inside him. He still had a couple of knives on him, but if he fought back…what would they do to McKay?

What were they doing to McKay now?

The rage boiled deep within, but he refused to give in to it. Instead, he refocused his attention on the door. It was the one way out. There had to be a way and he would find it.

* * *

McKay had heard Ronon's angry yell as Cort dragged him through the well lit passages. He tried to hold onto hope that it meant the Satedan was safe at least for now.

"Where are you taking me?" He found his voice as they turned another corner.

"You are to be questioned."

McKay looked at the man beside him. "For what? I was told I could explore. Rula, he waved his hand" Rodney copied the gesture with his one free hand "and told us we could look around as much as we pleased. I did nothing wrong."

Cort glared. "You will be silent or I will send my men back to your cell to kill your companion." His dark brown eyes narrowed with the threat. "Do not doubt me."

Swallowing the lump that settled in his throat, McKay kept his mouth shut. He'd seen the way Cort's soldiers had treated Ronon. He couldn't chance any more harm coming to his friend.

His head throbbing, Rodney tried to pay attention to where they were going. So far they'd turned right twice and left once. He filed it away and prayed he'd be able to remember it when needed. They had to get out of this somehow. Did Sheppard and Teyla even know yet what had happened?

Suddenly, Cort stopped, forcing McKay to stop with him. Cort smoothed his spiky black hair and rapped once on the door in front of him.

It opened instantly, revealing a sparsely decorated room with several men waiting inside. A lone chair was positioned in the center of the room and McKay pulled back when he saw it. It was a simple wooden structure, but the leather straps at both arms and both legs scared the tar out of Rodney.

Two of the occupants moved behind him and helped Cort shove him forward.

"Oh, no no no no! There's a huge, big, giant misunderstanding here. I'm telling you. I didn't do anything wrong."

His words had no effect as, forcefully, he was shoved down into the chair. He struggled,but two more men had joined the effort and before he could even think…he was strapped securely in place. Panic turned to icy fear that he tried to cover as anger. "I told you I had permission to look around. Just ask…"

"Dr. McKay."

Rodney's head jerked toward the familiar voice as Rula stepped from the shadowed corner of the room.

"There you are. Tell them. Please, tell them. You gave me permission to look around. You said I couldn't get into any trouble. I was free to explore. Tell them." He struggled as he pleaded, but the straps holding his arms in legs in place only seemed to tighten.

Rula smoothed his brown hair away from his face in a gesture that had McKay looking back at Cort again. Oh God…he saw it now. They were brothers.

"I did give you permission to look around as you pleased." Rula's statement jerked McKay's attention back to him.

"Then why all this? The physical attacks? The captivity."

"For decades we have invited guests into our palace. They have explored to their delight and our visits were always pleasant and profitable as we built up our trade. In all those years, no one has found our jewel chamber."

"It's right there," McKay protested. "It has an elaborate door frame and there were no warnings signs that we weren't allowed to enter."

"There are no warnings because no one has ever had the ability to enter except the court's magician."

"But all I…"

"Generations ago, aman discovered that he was the lone soul who could gain access to the hidden room. He was appointed the court magician and he designed the crown jewel chamber. It was left in his guardianship and, in each generation, one from his lineage carries on his legacy and takes on his responsibilities ofguarding and accessing the jewels. You are not of his family."

"Oh god." McKay sank back in the chair as it clicked. The gene. "Look, I can explain."

"You are a witch." Rula nodded. "You use dark magic to steal from the innocent."

"NO!" McKay shouted then settled. "No. I'm not a witch. I didn't even touch anything. I'm just a scientist, but I have a gene. The same gene that's in your magician's bloodline. It's passed down from his forefathers, yes, but it lets him work technology left behind by the Ancients."

Rula shook his head. "You lie to protect yourself. There is no way you are of the same line." Then he motioned for another to step forward.

This man was shorter than Rula and Cort, dressed in flowing green robes he was a bit heavier in build with skin as dark as his coal black eyes. Those eyes searched McKay's face. "I am Doni, of the line of Devon. I am the court magician. Only I am blessed with the gift of Devon."

"You, you have the ancient gene thenm," McKay started, but someone smacked the back of his head, hard. "Hey!" he protested then yelped as he was hit again.

"What darkness did you harness to open the hidden door?" Doni asked.

"It wasn't hidden. I just accessed the panel and it opened," McKay hissed. Why couldn't they understand?

"What dark sorcery did you use?"

"I didn't use any sorcery. I told you." He flinched as there was movement behind him.

"How did you open the door?"

McKay stared at Doni and then back at Rula. Cort moved beside him and from their expressions it dawned on him. They were not going to believe him. No matter how he tried to explain the gene…they wouldn't understand. They already had made up their minds.

He shook his head, helplessly. "It just opened."

Doni nodded and exchanged a knowing look with Rula. "Let the tests begin."

TBC...

Though this story was written and posted last month--seemed very appropriate to start posting it today since I just visited Salem, MA this weekend!


	2. Chapter 2

No Place Like Home part 2

Ronon continued to pace the cell as he tried to think of a plan of escape. He ignored the headache that crept up the back of his neck and wrapped around his skull. He needed to think. He changed direction and walked the perimeter of the room,stopping suddenly when his foot hit something. Surprised, he crouched and picked up McKay's scanner. He hadn't realized that McKay had managed to hide it before the soldiers knocked him out. Picking up the scanner, Ronon shoved it in his pocket. It was of little use to him, but he knew when Rodney came back they could use it.

Standing again, Ronon moved in front of the door and ran his hands all the way around it. It opened outward so he had no access to the hinges. The bars were solid in the wood, though even if he could break those apart, the opening was too small for any full grown human to fit through.

He focused on the opening edge. There was minimal space between the wood of the door and the frame,but there was no deadbolt that he could see. The door was barred from the outside. Plastering himself against the door,Ronon craned his head to peer out the small opening, but he couldn't see down the front of the barrier at all. Listening for any guards, Ronon squatted and dug a knife from his dreadlocks. No one ever thought to search his , quietly, he went to work on the edge of the doorway. If he could just whittle the edge and widen the space just enough—he could fit the knife through and hopefully use it to get to the latch that was locking him in.

Once he got the door open, he'd find Rodney, Sheppard and Teyla and they could get the hell off this planet.

* * *

"You are a willful man, Dr. McKay. You must possess great power." Doni's voice seemed to float around Rodney. He couldn't quit figure out where the man was standing now or what he was going to come at him with next.

"I've passed your damn tests," McKay rasped. His throat ached from yelling. "I have proved I'm no witch."

"There is a final test."

"Of course there is." Rodney closed his eyes. Dizziness assailed him. He didn't want any more tests. He didn't want to be here. He didn't even know how long he'd been here. It felt like hours. He wanted to go home. Where were Sheppard and Teyla? Didn't they know what was going on? Didn't they realize that while they sat around chatting with the King, he was being sliced and diced in this hellhole?

His wrists were torn and bruised from pulling against the leather as he'd struggled. Doni had started his tests by pouring some kind of thick syrupy sweet liquid down his throat. Rodney had tried to spit it out but then Rula had leaned down close to him.

"If you do not cooperate, I will send my men for your cellmate and you will be forced to watch him suffer a slow death before we continue."

McKay had decided not to press whether or not they were bluffing.

Then Doni had brought out the knives and all McKay could think about was Kolya. But instead of his arm, Doni had sliced across his torso, just deep enough to make it hurt…and bleed. What color was his damn blood? What color did they think it was going to be? They'd quickly and haphazardly bandaged the cut. He'd passed that test, but there'd been another, and another. His forearms had born the brunt of the testing.

But, he'd passed them all. He bled like them, his skin burned like theirs. He even lost his ability to breathe when a bag was pulled tight over his head, too. Combined with the drug—the tests blurred together and he'd lost track of what was happening to him. But no matter the result-- none of it was enough. Each test seemed to fuel their desire for more proof. Rodney almost wanted to shout that he WAS a witch and he was going to smite their souls for all this,but he figured that'd only piss them off more.

It was already unnerving how very calm and practical they were about the whole matter.

"From where do you draw your power?" Doni was talking again. The same question over and over again.

"I told you." Rodney leaned his head back against the top of the chair. He was so tired. The room spun constantly now. He just wanted it to stop. "I have no power."

Doni snapped his fingers and Rodney stiffened. That snap had come to signal bad things.

Someone grabbed his right hand, forcing him to open it and exposing his palm.

"No." His eyes shot open as he straightened in the chair and tried to pull away but between the soldier's grip and the leather bindings…he was stuck.

Doni lifted an object off of a nearby tray. The device lit up with a dim blue glow.

Rodney tried to figure out what was going to happen. What was that? It looked a little like the personal shielding device he'd found when they'd first come to Atlantis,but of course that had been green. He'd never seen this. Curiosity warred with fear. He wanted to examine it and find out its usefulness, but he didn't want to be tested with it. What would it do to him?

Doni handed the device to Rula and the light immediately dimmed.

"Oh god." Rodney figured out that it wasn't going to hurt him then, but it was going to doom him. He wasn't going to pass this test. "No." He struggled clumsily but ferociously now.

Rula looked at him warningly. "Shall I send for your teammate?" He waved to his men and three of them started for the door.

"No!" Rodney shouted despite his abused throat. He had yelled so much. "No, I'll…fine, just give it to me."

Rula smiled and moved forward. Gently he placed the ancient device in the palm of Rodney's outstretched hand.

Rodney tried to think "OFF" as much as he could,but it was pointless. The device lit up instantly. The once dim light glowed a brilliant blue and filled the entire room. McKay immediately recognized it as a portable holographic map of the Pegasus galaxy. The constellations floated above the room's occupants.

It took Rodney a moment to realize that the men around him were stunned. They stared at the starry projection around them in shocked silence until suddenly it shattered in a collective gasp and they were all talking at once. He could see the fear in their eyes and heard it in their voices.

The device was wrenched from his hand and the room went back to being dank and dark.

He heard what they were saying. He was a witch for sure. It didn't matter that his blood ran red or that he breathed just like them. What mattered was he'd taken something their magician had only been able to turn on and made it do something else entirely. He'd made the sky appear around them. He was too powerful.

No one was talking to him now.

"Get him out of that chair." Doni was ordering the soldiers now. "Take him back to his cell. We'll need to kill his companion,but keep the witch alive until we can figure out what to do with him. I must research how to utterly destroy his power before we kill him so that it doesn't infest someone else**. **Send extra security to guard the King. We must take his other teammates into our custody at once."

"What? Wait, you can't." They were going to kill Ronon?

"Keep him subdued or he'll use his power against you."

Someone came at him from the left,but he couldn't move to avoid the blow. It knocked him half out of the chair, only the bindings held him in place. Someone else must have unstrapped him because the next thing Rodney knew he was being manhandled out of the chair and dragged through the stony passageways.

* * *

Ronon heard the commotion in the hallway and stood quickly. He pressed himself against the door and listened.

"You can't. You can't kill him."

Rodney. Something was wrong with his voice.

"If you kill him-- I'll kill you."

Ronon raised an eyebrow. Rodney would kill for him? Not a surprise,but it wasn't often he heard his teammate admit something like that out loud. He didn't listen for the guard's response. Instead,he backed away from the door and hid the knife behind his back.

"Get back." One of the guards shouted at the opening, peering in just enough to make sure Ronon obeyed, but staying out of reach.

Though he wasn't sure how many were with McKay, Ronon knew he would have the element of surprise in his favor. He intended to use it.

The door began to open and Ronon launched himself towards it. It banged back into the soldiers and gave the Satedan the edge he needed. He swiped at the closest guard even as the man was still stumbling from being hit with the door. Ronon sliced the man's jugular and spun to stab the second guard through the heart before he could even react. The third guard was fumbling uselessly for his weapon when Ronon's knife ended him. In moments, the three guards were down and Rodney stood, swaying in the hallway looking shell shocked and confused.

"You…"

Ronon shrugged and wiped the blade of his knife against his pant leg. "Yeah. You okay?" He scanned the scientist, noting the blood red eyes and focusing on his forearms and bloodstained midsection.

McKay's shirt sleeves had been shoved up above his elbows but before Ronon could see the reddened patches of burnt skin. Rodney quickly pulled the sleeves back down hiding his arms. "I'm fine." He held one arm protectively across his middle.

Ronon didn't believe him. Rodney looked awful. He was frighteningly pale and continued to sway. He started to ask if Rodney was sure,but McKay motioned for him to hurry.

"We need to get out of here. They're going to kill you."

"No,they're not."

Rodney huffed, sounding satisfyingly more like a healthy annoying McKay again. "Right, be picky about it. They're going to TRY to kill you. We need to get out of here."

"You sure you're okay?" Ronon reached out as Rodney turned and stumbled into the wall.

"I'll make it. We just need to find a way to avoid any of Rula's guards. He'll send more when these…" He gestured to the men on the floor. "Guys don't return."

"Oh, here." Ronon reached into his shirt and pulled out the scanner.

"Oh. That'll help." It immediately came on at Rodney's touch and for the first time in hours, McKay was thankful again for the ATA gene. "We need to hurry."

"Gotta find Sheppard and Teyla."

Ronon followed Rodney, concerned about the injuries he knew his friend was hiding. He wanted to give the scientist a break and let the man rest. He wanted to help his friend along,but Rodney focused only on getting through the hallways undetected. He held himself protectively away from Ronon and, though Ronon didn't understand why Rodney was hiding so much, he knew they didn't have the time to ask. Instead, Ronon kept pace and prepared to either fight anyone who tried to get in their way or pick Rodney up when he couldn't go any further.

Rodney gripped the scanner like it was a lifeline. He watched each blip on the screen, trying to figure out exactly where every life sign was located in the maze of passage. But, not knowing the layout, he felt like he was flying blind.

He forced himself to take one step after another even though each one rattled his body like he was being roughly shaken. The walls moved in and out around him and, every three steps or so, he reached out to steady himself and make sure it was him and not the walls that were actually swaying. His arms ached in ways he hadn't imagined back in the 'testing' room. His sleeve pulled mercilessly on the patch of burnt skin just below his elbow. The roughly bandaged cut across his chest still oozed and had started bleeding again. It was beginning to seep through the front of his shirt. His head ached like it had been cracked open, making ever sensation more intense. The light was too bright, sounds were too loud, and smells were nauseating. Everything hurt.

He knew Ronon was watching him. Studying him. He tried not to show how much he was hurting. He couldn't let Ronon get distracted by anything except getting them out of the prison. If they got caught, Ronon would die. Rodney was not going to let that happen. He was going to get them out and if that meant hiding the extent of his injuries, then that's what Rodney would do. If Ronon had to help him—he wouldn't be free to defend himself. Ronon needed to be unencumbered so he could move quickly.

"Anything?" Ronon asked quietly as Rodney paused.

"Not yet. There's activity here." He pointed to a fast moving cluster of a half dozen dots. "Where they kept us in that cell, I think." He looked up, not noticing the way Ronon's expression tightened when their eyes met. "They probably know we're loose now."

"How far to the main entrance?"

Rodney stared at the blinking dots. How far was the main entrance? Which direction? They'd wandered so freely before they'd found the hidden crown jewel chamber. He had paid attention,but then they'd been attached in the chamber and…he couldn't remember which way. He couldn't concentrate.

"McKay?" Ronon's voice was filled with concern.

"I-I" Rodney looked up and down the hall again and then back at the dots. The world started to spin around him again. He had to keep moving. If the guards caught them-- He couldn't let them catch Ronon. "Let's try this way." He gestured to his right, hissing as his sleeve pulled on his burnt forearm. "There's no one down this way."

Ronon watched him carefully and then nodded.

It was getting harder to keep going. McKay knew he was losing ground,but he pushed himself further. His ears were ringing, a dull roar that he recognized as a sign he was close to passing out. He couldn't let himself.

Ronon was beside him now instead of behind him. Watching the scanner, too. There were now a dozen dots behind them, still out of view, but moving quickly.

Just before they reached the next corner, Rodney pulled up sharply. His vision blurred and he started to go down. He felt Ronon's arm go around him, holding him up. "McKay."

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He shook his head. Groaning as another wave of nausea churned through him. He tapped the scanner's screen. "Two." He didn't have the words for more. He hoped Ronon understood.

Ronon did, but there were more dots advancing behind them and Rodney could hear them coming now. The guards were almost on them. He and Ronon were trapped. They were going to catch Ronon and kill him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"You have to kill them all." he whispered, pushing away from the Satedan. "Give me a knife."

Ronon laughed in spite of the situation. "I've got it,McKay." He shoved McKay up against the wall behind him, making sure he was steady and then turned, knife ready. Rodney kept a clumsy hold on one arm and McKay's grip was the only thing that saved Sheppard from getting a knife through the throat.

"Ronon!" Teyla's frantic cry made him pull up short on a follow through punch with the other hand.

"Sheppard. Teyla."

McKay was so relieved to see them both he simply closed his eyes.

"Hey, big guy, what the hell is going on?"

"We had trouble."

Trouble? Trouble? Rodney realized he wasn't actually speaking out loud. "You call all this 'trouble'?" He opened his eyes and pushed wearily away from the wall. "We've got to get out of here. We need to get out, now."

Sheppard and Teyla just stared at him for a moment with shocked expressions.

"What? What's your problem? Imminent death here, guys."

Sheppard blinked. "Rodney."

Teyla stepped forward. "Rodney, are you alright?"

Huffing, Rodney handed John the scanner. "Yes, yes. I'm fine, can we just go? Plan our escape, come to the rescue? Get us home?" He shoved weakly at Sheppard spurring him into motion. He didn't catch the looks exchanged between his teammates. "Where the hell have you been anyway?"

Rodney let Ronon hold onto his upper arm this time and help him as they followed Sheppard. Teyla moved in behind them.

"We realized something was amiss when Rula came in to brief the King." Teyla started to explain as they moved quickly. "We were kept from leaving that room for quite some time and then the King was suddenly rushed out." She looked at Rodney. "We did not realize…"

"Well," he cut her off. "You're here now. How do we get out?"

"They don't like modern guns." John's voice was harsher than it had been and Rodney wondered for a moment if Sheppard was angry with him.

"Least you still have yours," Ronon griped.

"Oh yeah," Sheppard pulled Ronon's blaster out of his vest and handed it to the now smiling Satedan. "Almost forgot."

"Right," Ronon commented knowingly. "How'd you get it?"

"Took it."

"We have a limited time to get to the gate before they discover we have escaped from the room," Teyla reminded.

"Once the King left, they didn't think to put extra guards on us," Sheppard explained. "We grabbed our gear and found yours with it. Figured something went wrong and came to find you two. What exactly did you do anyway?"

John held up a hand to stop them all before proceeding down the next hall. There was a door at the end and it led outside.

"How'd you?" McKay looked at Sheppard.

"We found this door on our way to find you, McKay. What'd you do to piss them off?"

"We found their crown jewels," Ronon answered.

"What's the big deal then? You didn't take any did you?" John hurried them out into the village where no one seemed bothered by their presence.

"No, we didn't take any," Rodney snapped back, weary and frustrated. It was getting even harder to focus. He wanted to just sit down and close his eyes,but he couldn't. Not until he knew they were safe…that Ronon was safe. "The room was Ancient. Not much power, but enough that the doorway responds to the gene. Evidently their court 'magician' is the only one in the kingdom with the gene, so when I opened it…"

"They thought he was a witch," Ronon finished.

"You've got to be kidding me." John looked over his shoulder at Rodney. "Didn't you just explain?"

"Oh right. I told them I was a witch just so they'd lock us up and threaten to kill us. Yes, I explained. They didn't listen."

Sheppard acted like he wanted to ask more, but then abruptly let the matter drop. He had picked up the pace now. They passed through the village square undeterred. Once they were on the forest path, they were running.

Rodney made it four steps before he just stopped. He stood there in the middle of the yellowed stone path, trying to not fall, knowing he had to keep moving, but knowing, too that he was physically done. They still had to get to the gate.

The grip on his arm disappeared and an arm wrapped around his waist. "I got you, McKay." Ronon eased Rodney's right arm up over his shoulders and started moving again, supporting the majority of Rodney's weight.

Sheppard was suddenly on the other side of him, mirroring Ronon's movements.

Rodney felt like he was gliding. "I'm okay." He managed as his vision dimmed.

"Yeah, you are," Ronon answered.

* * *

Ronon stayed with Rodney even as Keller's medical team rushed him to the infirmary. He knew Sheppard and Teyla were coming as soon as they briefed Woolsey. Impatiently, he paced while he waited for Keller to let him in to see how Rodney was doing. He needed to see what was really wrong with McKay. What had Rodney been hiding and how badly was he hurt?

Guilt and anger fought for dominance, but he pushed both down. He stopped for a moment and watched the rain splatter against a nearby window. There was nothing he could do now. No matter how much he might want to go back to that planet and slaughter each and every one of them…

"Ronon?" Keller was there.

"Hey." He stopped pacing and stood awkwardly. Suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands.

"I've got him resting as comfortably as possible…" her voice shook a little and she looked away for a moment. "Marie is taking care of him."

"Why not you?"

"I needed a moment." She snapped, anger filling her eyes. "What the hell happened to him, Ronon?"

"You tell me."

She gaped at him. "Don't you know?"

"No." He looked down. "He hid it from me."

"He…"she looked back over her shoulder toward the curtained area. "Rodney hid his injuries from you?"

"I knew he was hurt, but he insisted he was okay and that we had to get out."

"He was not okay, Ronon." She stepped closer. "They drugged him. They cut him. They burned him. They strangl…" She choked on her emotion and backed away when he reached out to her. "No." She shook her head. "They strangled him, suffocated him somehow. His eyes."

"I saw."

She fisted her hands helplessly and blinked watery eyes. "He's not okay."

Ronon stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "He is now." He squeezed and then let her go. "Go take a break."

"I don't know why he didn't tell you." She swiped at her eyes again and nodded, pulling herself together. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't leave him alone."

He smiled. "I won't."

When she was gone, Ronon ducked behind the curtain. Marie was adjusting McKay's IV. She looked up at Ronon and smiled but didn't say anything. She simply finished her task and slipped out.

Rodney was still pale, but looked better now that he was home.

"Hey." Ronon greeted, refusing to flinch as he met Rodney's still red eyes. He'd seen it before, he realized, now that Jennifer had mentioned the suffocation. Anger flickered inside and he pushed it down.

"How you doing?"

Rodney shrugged. "The drugs are better here. Nothing too serious." He looked suddenly uncomfortable again.

"Right."

"Look." Rodney started but Ronon stopped him.

"I knew."

"You knew what?" Rodney looked confused.

"That you were hurt. You can't hide something like that."

"Yeah well, I didn't realize I had zombie eyes." He waved at his face. "I just knew we needed to get out if there. We couldn't slow down and take care of anything. There was nothing you could do and I couldn't let them…"

"Hey." Ronon patted Rodney's leg as he moved and plopped down in the chair next to the bed. "I know. Sheppard and Teyla are coming down soon as they're done with Woolsey." He watched Rodney pick at the blanket restlessly. "Gonna have to tell us what happened."

Rodney sighed. "Yeah."

"No more hiding." He paused a moment. "Least there were no flying monkeys."

"Oh God." Rodney snorted. Laugh lines softened the tightness of his expression.

Ronon grinned. "There's no place like home."

McKay nodded and closed his eyes. He seemed to relax into the pillows again. Ronon wondered if he needed to say more, but McKay was the talker, not him.

"Did I tell you about the Ancient device they had?" Rodney asked without opening his eyes. "It was palm sized and when I touched it, it projected a hologram of the galaxy all around the room. Do you know what I could do with that? I mean it'd be…"

Ronon slouched in the chair and let McKay's rasping voice wash over him. From his position he could just see the corner of the window. The rain was letting up and he could see the sun trying to shine through. Yeah, they were going to be okay.

The End.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.


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